Prejudice in Past Tense
by amber.saurus
Summary: This is a story in which Elphaba's mother leaves her husband to live with Oscar (Oz) with whom she has an affair. The story will follow Elphaba's childhood as she learns how not everyone accepts her. It focuses on the small mindedness of the munchkins as Elphaba tries to create equality for all.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

Melena, sat nervously on the settee in the beautiful sitting room, in her hands she was fiddling with a small green bottle much to the chagrin of her husband, Frex. Gazing at the chandelier at the ceiling she began to count to ten in her head to calm herself down, at seven a voice interrupted her.

"So," he said calmly, as he itched to get to his next meeting, "why did you want to speak to me darling?"

She looked up at him and saw his longing to get back to his work – his power consumed all the love in his heart. She was hardly surprised that her love had left for him and had gone to another.

"I-," Melena stammered, "I'm, I'm seeing someone else."

"What?"

"I've been having an affair."

Frex stood up and stared at his wife.

"Why? Why when we are in the public eye would you do something so foolish? Are you _trying _to ruin my career?"

Startled Melena looked up at the husk of the man who she'd met during her gap year from university when she'd decided to study Oz as a part of her degree on architecture. She could remember how the emerald colours made his eyes stand out as he approached her and introduced himself… Shaking herself she looked into the eyes which once shone but now were cold. She swallowed nervously before continuing.

"I've had an affair for the past year and I'm sorry. You don't love me anymore and I can see it in your eyes! I've forced myself to stay here," her voice began to grow hysterical and Frex begged her in his mind to calm down, "and comply to your rules – how I should eat, sleep, conduct myself – the list goes on! I'm sick of acting to all the cameras and town folk. Tell them I died giving birth to your child or whatever sick story you create to keep yourself and I shall disappear."

"Deal."

"What?"

"Give me a child and go."

Frowning she approached him slowly then pressed a small cold hand to his head which he slapped away. He glared at her and she backed away sensing another explosion – she could take smacks and bruises but the child in her would not be harmed.

**Hey guys! This is my fanfic! Enjoy this little snippet – and please review so I can learn how to improve my technique **


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

"Oscar?"

"Yeah honey?"

"I'm going to have to stay with Frex for a little while."

Melena heard silence over the phone line and gulped.

"Why?"

"He said I deserve to give him a child after everything _I did_. I mean, I didn't hurt him in _any way _and he just wants a child to continue his work which is ridiculous. So, I'm going to stay with him throughout the pregnancy then he will select a child to adopt then you, me and our baby can disappear."

"Why didn't you say no to him?"

She sighed and again remembered her time in the Emerald City before her mind's eye skipped to their wedding day. Her beautiful white dress which seemed to trail for _miles _behind her and the stunning emeralds which were dotted along the hem and bodice of her skirt making her sparkle as she spun on the spot. Then to Frex, who slouched slightly when she walked in, stunned at how radiant she looked. His white attire had green lining and he wore a snow-white top hat on his head which was positioned at a precarious angle. When she stepped up to him he kissed her making her laugh in surprise before the ceremony continued-

"Hello? Melena?"

"Sorry, I was distracted. And I can't say no Ozzie, I _cheated on him_. I should have ended it quicker to prevent all of this mess."

"If you insist," Oscar sighed and she could tell he had run his hand through his shoulder length, brown hair – it was an adorable habit of his in her opinion.

"I do."

"When will I get to see you then?"

"Every month Frex prepares a few guest rooms as he has a dinner with people in power. They usually come from a long way away and I usually stay out the way – he promised to keep one room for us to see each other. And during the ninth month of the pregnancy you can stay the whole month so you don't miss the birth. After that we'll have to fake my funeral and then we'll leave. He can sort out his child."

"That's it? I get to see you once a month for _8 months_?!"

"Well you'll be busy anyway! Working on some potion until all hours and ignoring me!"

They both looked down and counted to ten, willing the other to calm down.

"I'll make a sleeping draft," whispered Oscar, "which will make you appear dead for a few days."

"Ok then my sweet Romeo."

"My darling Juliet."

In unison they smiled as they spoke about an ancient literature that so few knew about during these times, when certain books were burned and artefacts were destroyed so the mayors could shape the minds of the munchkins.

"It will be on the last day of every month that you can come."

"I'll see you in two weeks then."

"Ok."

"Love you for forever."

"That's not long enough."

Grinning they hung up and then Melena turned to Frex who had been standing a few feet away as she used their diamond encrusted phone to call Oscar. He studied her as she spoke, noting the way her poise deteriorated and she slumped to her right. Memories struggled to get his attention of when she used to do that to him but he batted them down.

"Goodnight then."

Frex turned and left the room, locking the front door behind him as he made his way to the Board Meeting to discuss the latest piece of the past to be found, some _deeno saur _bones according to the message his doves delivered to him…

And they needed to be destroyed…

Immediately…

**Hello again! So this is the second chapter to my first fanfic **_**eeek**_**! I'm really enjoying writing and thank you for the reviews! I felt great reading them! I'm going to try and continue to update this often to keep the ball rolling **** See you soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Frex pushed open the double doors into the huge council chambers and couldn't help but marvel at the elegant architecture which built up the intricately carved dome roof. As he strode into the room, the sides of his mouth lifted slightly in the suggestion of a smile at he imagined how his dramatic entrance brought fear into the others in the room. He was wearing a white shirt along with slim fitting black trousers which were sharp cut and made his movements seem quicker and more lizard-like. He wore a royal-purple coloured cloak which billowed behind him as he walked to his seat at the end of an oval-shaped table.

Pulling off his cloak with a flourish, he passed it to someone who worked at the council and watched them leave before taking a seat. He took in the people seated along the table, business men, mayors, priests - those in power like him. He could _feel_ the dominant forces reverberate across the room as those beside him looked frustrated at not being in his seat at the top.

"So," Frex began, speaking quietly so those at the end had to physically lean forward to listen, "more have been found?"

"Yes, those of a tyrannosaur or some-such creature-"

"An un-Godly creation-"

"Forgery-"

"Lies-"

He watched the men around him struggle to comprehend these alien objects which suggested a past before their own. These men who knew they were human, not mere munchkin, and understood the power that it had given them.

"If I may," a deep-voiced man at the back begun, his bald black head shining in the bright light which illuminated the table, "I would like to see this artefact."

"It is in the process of being destroyed now Mr Blain," Frex spoke in that soft voice of his, "God didn't create them. They are lies. Only to be seen by heathens such as the munchkins."

"Why?"

All eyes in the room turned to Mr Blain. He stood up, his huge stature filling the chamber.

"Who says that God wrote those words? Why can there not be a past before the Wizard? We all know the story of how the Wizard rose from the ashes and blessed us with life but why were there ashes? Was it because of a meteor? Was there a war between those before us? Why were there so many bodies for the Wizard to rise from? Who is he and why did he leave us before returning in a flying balloon not so long ago?"

"It's a fact," Frex replied, "not story and I will not tolerate those who don't understand the true meanings in the Book. The artefacts suggest that life wasn't as it always has been and that's a lie. Munchkins have always been below us humans, the Wizard himself walked upon them as if they were only areas of land and offered his hand to only those like us. The ashes were of the heathens who didn't believe in the Wizard and were of those who fell as his Holy Spirit dimished there filthy souls and set them free."

"Why can't people believe what they wish to believe? Why does your God kill those who don't believe in him? Why do you force us all to just bow down to your beliefs and not be ourselves? Why are humans so adamant to be better than others? Can you answer that Mr Thropp?"

"We just are Mr Blaise – although you won't be anymore."

"Is that a threat?"

"No. A fact."

At that Frex pressed the red button beneath the table and watched as the monkeys ran in through the door, their scarred faces staring at the small crowd at the table as they screeched at everyone. They recognised Mr Blaise in an instant as they'd been supplied his cloak as he entered the meeting room. Bloodthirsty and starving from days of no food, they launched themselves towards him. Mr Blaise, who'd sensed the trap earlier as the nervous-looking attendant 'insisted' that he take Blaise's cloak, he turned and ran across the table. As he reached the end, he jumped over Frex before launching himself out of the window. A flying machine, with wings and propellers (like those in the picture books Frex had burned last week), Frex watched as it flew around the corner catching Blaise before the man got in and the machine vanished into the night.

Frex's eyes hardened as the planes flew away. Shame his monkeys couldn't fly – although a modification was due… He'd have to go visit the Wizard and ask if something could be done about that.

"Gentleman, this meeting is over. The bones are to be burned along with those pieces of money from the Row-men times. Good night."

Frex slapped the three monkeys who had been sent in to see off Blaise before he left. They had failed and needed to learn from their errors. He took pleasure in noting how they shied away from his touch and left with the same amount of drama as he had when he'd entered the room.

The monkeys watched the other men relax as Frex left and mimicked the action; after all, they were trained to learn from new experiences.

**Hope you enjoyed this and it explained a bit more as to why Frex wants any artefacts found to be destroyed, his need for power has lead him to controlling what people believe which is a contributing factor as to why Melena wants to leave him. See you soon! **


End file.
